Burn bright in the winter
by The Winds of Chaos
Summary: "They were supposed to be Heroes-not Cowards. They were supposed to be the protectors-not the protected." Where Chiron calls Percy and Nico back to camp during the holidays as things get tense in the city-the boys tread between guilt at hiding out behind the magical border and enjoying their time off the battle field for just a little while. (Links with some other shots)


**A/N: Please review and let me know what you think, I haven't been in the habit of posting things for a long time.**

 **This is a companion piece to Breaking Point, and Purple Sorrow brings Silvery Relief, and the prequel is Multicolored Tears. They all match this colored emotion theme.**

 **Feel free to read those as well, or just stick with this one-the choice is yours :D**

 **Also, I'm open to Fan Challenges, so if you have something you want to see me write or a list of words you want me to make something out of-don't be shy! Drop me a line in the reviews or a PM.**

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It's the ice crystallizing in the air that reminds the pair of the frigid mid-December weather.  
It was cold enough to make the few camp-bound demigods feel that tingling numbness, pricking at their hands and noses,  
yet the magic borders protected them from the real dangers that swept in with the icy winds.  
A snow storm drilled into the trees outside, but not a flake found purchase on the camp's ground.  
Howling winds ripped through the forests-  
trying to flatten the trees outside the border-  
but only a warm sea breeze whispered through the camp's grass.

Camp half-blood could be one of the best places to spend your winter holiday.  
Not only did campers get that serene winter feeling from watching the Long Island snow fall,  
they also got to walk around enjoying the slightly nippy weather on their bare skin.  
Instead of feeling the harsh fingers of winter penetrating through your thickest coat,  
you felt the gentle brush of a wind~  
soft enough to be ignored, but cold enough to be remembered.  
Still what else could a camper demand from the magical camp  
-home to so many who don't belong anywhere else-  
besides _Almost perfect_ weather and the sense of adventure and belonging that tinged the meadow's air.

At the beginning of December Chiron had called in Percy and Nico from the hustling city.  
The centaur wouldn't tell them why- only that they needed to come home immediately.  
They left their loft (and the holiday blowout parties that New York was known for) and made the long drive in to see the camp director,  
only to find themselves detained and stranded inside the camp borders.  
Chiron had explained about the recent rise in monster sightings around Percy and Nico's neighborhood and  
that a troop of demigods had been sent out to dispatch them before the attacks became too noticeable.  
He then explained that the two war heroes were not allowed to leave camp until the situation was taken care of.  
"The monsters are massing together in a search for Demigods, but for you two in particular.  
As you know every Halfling gives off a scent that lures in dangerous beings,  
the more powerful the child, the more powerful their pull is.  
Due to your prolonged stays in the city, and your ever-growing powers,  
your scent has become overwhelming to the monstrous population surrounding the New York area.  
We have tracked monsters from as far out as Albany coming in to hunt you.  
Your scents will linger for weeks, and they will provide enough coverage for the dispatch troops.  
They will be able to move in undetected and take care of the problem.  
Until then you'll be staying here, so make yourselves comfortable."  
With that parting line, Chiron had galloped to Half Blood Hill to supervise the departure of the campers returning home for the holidays.

The only real problem they had with sticking it out inside the camp's safe hold is they felt like cowards.  
Is this how it would always be?  
Hide when the going gets rough?  
Sending younger campers out into the world to clean up their messes, and fighting someone else's battle?  
Campers that they were supposed to protect, friends that they cared for~Family  
It was the haunting thought in the back of each boy's head.  
The fact that they were _Hiding.  
_ They were supposed to be _Heroes-_ not Cowards.  
They were supposed to be the protectors, not the protected.

One had control of the very Earth he stood on.  
Eyes black as Styx and as strong as a narcotic.  
Hair as dark as an inky shadow, and skin white as light.  
Deceptive in his fragile beauty, with a strike like a black widow, 19 and a hunter.  
Powers over every haunting shadow, every creature who called death home, and over every soul he saw.  
He could bend you to his will, and call forth every memory you ever tried to hide.  
Every fear and worry that kept you up at night.  
He was vicious in battle, a snarling demon creeping in and taking you over-  
Yet here he was,  
someone who had faced down legions of a monster army  
Someone whose Father was Ruler of Hell,  
sitting behind the safety line.

The other, just as terribly powerful, just as limitless, with a hold on liquid that was unfathomable.  
Eyes like Greek fire, with the same swirling disarming danger to them.  
Hair dark like the depths and throws of every ocean canyon.  
Misleading with the air of innocence that hangs around him, yet with a nature as darkly whimsical as the ocean, 23 and a fighter.  
An unshakable ground of justice, a charismatic leader, and impulsively lighthearted.  
Possessor of destructive storms, unleasher of deadly geokinesis.  
Untouchable, and agile, with a strike of pure prowess.  
Bearer of life, protector of the unprotected.  
Coming in behind you like a riptide in gentle waters~sucking you under until there's nothing left but a distant memory.  
Yet here he was,  
Skilled in his craft as a Hero, Victor of Olympus,  
Someone who had faced down Titans and Gods, Son of the ocean and all its treasures,  
sitting in the general's tent protected from the fray.

The black haired sons of two of the Elder Gods had resigned themselves to their captivity,  
because they knew it was almost always futile to argue with Chiron, and  
honestly, they had been thinking about taking a vacation anyway.  
The 23 and 19 year olds had figured that an all-expenses paid break was just what they needed so they didn't fight too hard to go into battle.

They were the heroes of the Second Great Titan War and because of this,  
the Gods and the Campers called on them (and their fellow veterans) for help over even the slightest problem.  
No occurrence or issue was too big or, unfortunately for them, too small to call for their help.  
They had completed more missions in this last year alone than they could care to remember  
and it seemed that whenever they arrived back home from their latest adventure or mishap, there was always another waiting for them.  
So now they had the perfect excuse to loaf and relax for more than a few hours and no one could call on them for their latest hangnail, or family crisis.  
-Because when you thought about it every mission was some kind of family crisis, however, Immortal the family member may be.

Another factor that more than likely swayed them in their decision to stay stranded in camp was less noble than the first.  
The thrill and knowledge that they could do anything they liked, no matter how devious was irresistible.  
The two heroes hadn't gotten into - Some Just for fun-trouble in a while and the urge to let go and scheme for a while was insatiable.  
There were plenty of nature spirits and just enough campers that had stayed behind to choose from.  
It was mandatory that they stay inside the campgrounds, so no matter the prank they couldn't be sent away.  
No matter how strange their antics, nor how insane they made their idiosyncrasies they couldn't get into serious trouble.

They were cabin councilors, no matter the fact that their cabins were both still empty.  
They were undefeated heroes and war veterans.  
Both were loved (more or less) by (most) of the campers.  
If they weren't loved then they were bestowed with at least some kind of a grudging respect.  
They even had fan clubs-unfortunately for the members- Nico despised the overrated fan girls of his own 'club'  
- _Most of them don't even know me! He had protested when he found out_ -  
Though if he despised his own club, he outright hated Percy's with a certain possessive passion that was completely unhealthy and entirely endearing.  
- _They don't have to be so overly attentive. He'd snarled as he watched a few straggling teens throw glances back at Percy_  
They were untouchable even when it came to a punishment.  
Well, for the most part at least.

Even though there were definite upsides to their slightly forced vacation,  
neither champion liked playing the _faint of heart_ card.  
They would rather be fighting.  
Earning their keep, proving their worth and legends.  
Rather than parading their tantalizing parentage among the trees,  
inside the camp's borders and just out of reach.

 _Anyway~_

The way they thought about it: if they were stuck in camp-  
 _-I mean, when in Rome...Right?-_  
then they might as well enjoy their time there.  
They spent each day of their _Vacation_ spending time with each other  
and not really spending much time on anyone else.  
These memories would be some of their best and they refused to let the opportunity slip by un-noticed.

Sunlight washed moments lounging on the white shored beach and,  
Shimmering sights caught at the depths of the lake~  
Bubbling breaths, underwater adventures, and Utopian sights  
were passed back and forth like the most sacred of secrets.  
Heartbeats spent on innocence

Liquid moonlight memories made of fleeting haunts  
and nights spent chasing nightmares through the dark.  
Unforgettable mysteries found only in a land where life didn't belong,  
and corrosive moments spent in the murky shadow-lands.  
Breathy moments given to gleaming black sins.

Each day spent in camp was another day spent creating a certain kind of balance.  
Day and night were mixing and mingling together  
creating the never-ending puzzle that was them as a whole.  
The two heroes fit together like a fabric,  
both of their realms weaving together and overlapping.  
Forming a unity so complete that nothing could tear it apart.  
After spending their days so utterly infused with each other,  
they retreated back to Nico's refreshingly morbid cabin-  
reveling in the exhaustion that came with exploring their completely different lifestyles.

Nico's cabin was a saturnine work of art, deceptive in its foreboding beauty.  
Its soundproof walls (much like Percy's new cabin, but that is another story)  
were made of Black marble streaked with through white veins  
and gilded with burnished bronze.  
Then the walls were sealed with obsidian and onyx inlays,  
and Greek fire danced across the seams-  
giving off a ghastly and ethereal glow.

Every plant within a ten foot radius was afflicted by Persephone's curse.  
Instead of growing delicate petals and lush greenery-  
The plants dripped with stunning mounds of gemstones  
and were encrusted with precious metals.  
The grass grew as delicate strands of silver embedded with emeralds-  
the flowers came in every shape and size ranging from Amethyst to opal,  
and never did the same design appear twice.

The entire cabin reeked of Power-  
Money-  
Influence-  
and Death.  
Although not many would admit it, many were struck by the grandiose, yet refined building and they acted like it.  
The Shadow Prince and his belongings never  
fell victim to the usual camp festivities  
and Pranksters stayed far away.  
Nico and his home were untouchable-  
much like a few other cabins on the camp grounds.

It was sunset and dinner had just been cleared from the pavilion,  
every camper was headed to the Amphitheater for s'mores and the camp wrap up.  
The Princes of Shadow and Ocean followed a quieter path to the theater  
swinging clasped hands and talking about their return to the city.  
The green eyed boy had been in the middle of a backhanded comment-  
something about two powerful, twenty something guys being held, hostage-  
When the ground disappeared from under his feet with a sickening lurch.  
The familiar, comfortable settings of the trail  
and the thick smell of campfire smoke and s'mores disappeared.  
Suddenly he was swimming through an inky blackness-  
Fending off the creeping terror and sounds of the unknown,  
and the frigid air.

He could feel Nico's hand  
-still clasped in his own-  
pulling at him and becoming more and more forceful,  
until he was dragging Percy from the bottomless fear gnawing at him.  
The monstrous clutches that held him and coated his stomach with ice,  
were becoming weaker with every one of Nico's tugs.  
Every creature and beast lurking in the shadows waiting to claim his life gave a final deafening roar,  
as Nico gave one more tug that sent Percy stumbling back into the world of the living and out of the Shadow-land.  
Percy had one moment to recognize the punked out,  
yet sophisticated insides of Nico's cabin  
before his legs hit the side of something soft and he found himself tumbling backward.

The hero surfaced in a sea of silky sheets and black blankets before focusing on the bunk bed above him.  
A pair of sea green orbs circled around  
until they met with a set of bottomless black ones.  
He spotted the smug smirk on Nico's face and couldn't help,  
but rip his hands out of the younger man's cold grasp.  
Nico's smirk grew and his eyes filled with mirth,  
as he watched Percy shake the numb feelings out of his hand.

"I _Hate_ it when you do that," he muttered darkly while sitting up and  
shooting the younger man a halfhearted dirty look.  
The air of impertinence grew around the shadow traveler as he replied.  
"I wasn't in the mood to socialize, and we _both_ know patience isn't a virtue for me when it comes to you."  
He explained, letting loose a devilish grin  
and bending over to put his arms around the hero's neck.

Dazzling green met sparking black as the younger man tipped his head upwards slightly.  
"Wouldn't you agree?" he asked innocently from underneath his black as Styx hair.  
Their lips brushed together, _just barely,_ at every spoken word  
and shivers raced up both their spines.  
The elder demi-god was helpless under Nico's stare;  
he knew this was one of Nico's powers as a child of Hades-  
that alluring and conniving charm, that convincing tone of voice that made everything he said so inescapable.  
It was the sound of secrets and shadows,  
sin and enticement  
wrapped into one silky smooth voice that he couldn't resist.  
So he simply gave in and let go of his previous argument.

"You don't have any virtues left, you're corrupted and everyone knows it."  
Percy shot back, in a silent daze.  
The slightly twisted Halfling gave a manic smile, black eyes flashing in triumph in response.  
Nico stopped playing with Percy's greenish-black hair,  
and slid his hands down the front his chest.  
The Dark Heir felt the rough fabric of Percy's orange camp shirt beneath his hands,  
before he gave a small push and sent the other man  
free falling back onto the black and silver bed.

The hero laughed as he fell back again, Grabbing hold of the

mischievous Anti-Hero's bony wrists and pulling him down as well.

They tumbled over, collapsing in sequence on the soft bed.

"I just wanted some Alone time"

Nico whispered softly, looking out from under

his too black hair.

"Sure, alone time. That's why you brought me with you, right?"

Snarked Percy halfheartedly as he trapped

the younger boy on top of him between his arms.

Percy fiddled with the soft black fabric of the Shadow Prince's camp shirt

and silently thought about how hard it was for Nico to even get a black Camp shirt.

Somehow the skinny boy

had been able to convince Chiron to let him have the only

non-orange shirt, and the Sea Prince

was sure that the Shadow King's methods weren't entirely wholesome.

The green eyed boy inched the

prized black shirt up the olive skinned back slowly until

the band of his black jeans and the valleys of his slender back showed.

The moment the Hero's hand touched the cool

olive skin, the younger boy narrowed his eyes – challenging

Percy to explore further. The Sea Son gave a small smile before letting

his hands drift over and settle on the Anti-Hero's slender hips.

The shadow prince grinned wolfishly before shifting to sit back on the boy below.

Black locked with green as the hellion slowly began to pull off the offending article of clothing.

He balled it into his hands before carelessly tossing it onto the marble

floor below the bed.

The dark and bewitching boy gave a coy smile as he watched the hero's shock

register on his face. The victor of Olympus ripped his eyes away from his newly

unwrapped gift and met the eyes of the shadow king just

before they fluttered closed to deliver a

single searing kiss on the unexpected mouth.

Breath stopped, hearts stilled, and hands began their unhindered exploration as the two boys did a well-known dance.

Hours later, when the sky was dark and full and the moon was high,

did the dance come to a slow.

The cool silvery glow leaked through the one-way

glass on the cabin's roof bathing the dark rooms in its soft light. Playful beams of liquid silver settled on the two dark-haired heirs as they lounged

on one of the luxurious beds.

"If there is one thing my father will give me, it's money. He throws wealth at me like fastballs, thinking it will fix all of his past mistakes."

Nico had once said.

There hadn't been any emotion in his voice, no anger, no hurt.

Just Nico being Nico.

Coming to an understanding that only he could create.

The wealthy young man hadn't wasted his money despite not wanting to have it. His lifestyle screamed wealth and everything was exquisite.

The cabin and beds were no exceptions.

The green-eyed prince ran his tanned fingers across

the soft olive-toned planes relishing the feeling of subtle

shudders racing through the younger boy and the sight of the delicate skin

melting under his indestructible fingertips.

The younger boy lounged on his stomach watching the elder and his explorations.

A thin sheet rested low on his defined hips.

The hero played with the chronically cold boy,

memorized the way the moonlight washed his skin into a creamy silver color

creating a glow to shine around the young boy.

Percy thought the ethereal shimmer caught around

Nico was quite fitting and only wished that he remember

it in the harsh light of the morning.

The green-eyed boy traced a finger down the curve of the halfling's spine watching as the tantalizing silver skin was thrown into contrast at each bony hill.

The lithe muscles flexed and spasmed at the delicate touches craving more yet the bewitching boy seemed reluctant to express the need.

He listened to Nico's shudder of a moan and felt a shiver

rocket up through his own body in response.

The sea child placed soft open-mouthed kisses

on Nico's broken angel wing shoulder blades,

working his way down each taut muscle and over every graceful rib.

The contact made Percy hungry for more

but he refused to make the actions hungry.

He needed this to be special, he needed each touch to be meaningful, every breath held pressure, every look was searing.

Feather light touches equaled the incessant force of a kiss stolen in secrecy.

The physical contact was vibrant and powerful

yet it paled in comparison to the emotion behind it.

Those raw feelings were grounded by the mental challenge and need fueling their hidden touches.

Every touch was a sentence and every action was a response.

They held an instinctual conversation that only they could understand.

Every dance went beyond the physical,

these touches reached in to steal hearts and seal souls together.

Binding the two boys in a way that was revered and prophecized about.

This was a well-practiced story, one they were well versed in yet they always craved more.

Everything held a secret meaning, a hidden truth.

Soft reverent touches whispered 'I love you'.

The slow open-mouthed kisses dripped with the words 'I need you'.

Invisible lines drawn into soft skin meant 'I could do this forever'.

The way they held each other, indescribably close til neither one could tell where one began and the other ended screamed, 'I want you, I crave you'.

The firm touches and desperate holds meant 'Never leave me'.

This ritual is one that they knew well,

these were words and feelings they knew by heart and yet each time was different.

Each kiss was as potent as their first, each touch was just as binding as their last.

Every dance rejoiced in the words 'I am yours and you are mine'.

The two heroes were as mesmerized as the fated Juliet and her Romeo.

The powerful pair were as dangerous as Thristen and Isobelle, holding two worlds in peace.

They held the same enchanting allure as Calypso and Odysseus, but without the foreboding end.

They could be as well known as Zeus and Ganymede

and as intoxicating as Achilles and Patroclos.

Yet, in the end, it was just Percy and Nico and none of the rest mattered.

Everything they did meant something whether they understood the action or not.

The sea prince kissed softly along the sharp line of the shadow prince's shoulders before moving to claim his lips.

The kiss was soft and proud as if Percy had just taken possession of a well-sought prize.

He pulled back to study the shadow dweller's face watching as he returned the gesture

before wrapping his arms around Nico's skinny, pokey waist and pulling him close.

Close enough to feel his cold olive skin pushed against his own.

Nico donned a bewitching smile before burrowing himself into the Hero's chest,

relishing in the warmth Percy radiated.

The faint smell of ocean spray and sea bound days invaded Nico's mind as he cuddled closer.

The green eyed boy nuzzled the side of the death-bound teen's face,

lingering to place soft kisses on his temple.

The sea prince caught the smell of sulfur and cemetery dirt,

the smell Nico tried so hard to mask.

Percy was happy to know that after so many years in the overland it had yet to fade.

The underworld was as much a part of Nico

as the ocean was a part of him. He never wanted the ghost prince to

lose his connection with that side of himself.

Percy took another deep breath before leaning down to whisper in Nico's ear,

"Today was perfect," he breathed, letting his warm breath run across Nico.

The smaller boy shuddered and buried his cold nose into Percy,

seeking the warmth hidden in the older half ling's skin.

"Yeah," he mused, his voice soft. "I wish," he paused for a breath,

"I wish every day could be like this." The dark-eyed boy finished. He felt Percy hum in agreeance.

Dark as Styx eyes fluttered close in contentment as he listened to Percy's voice start on a late night ramble.

The younger boy half listened to his lover, drifting into a light sleep to the background noise of Percy's voice.

He faintly heard the Sea Prince call his name, and stirred awake momentarily.

"Nico, every day can be like today, is what I'm trying to say." Percy summarized nervously.

He shifted under Nico, his hands nervously tracing the planes of the younger boy's slim body.

"You don't have to answer me now, I just... I want you to think about it." Percy explained.

The death prince shifted off Percy and glued himself to the side of the tan boy.

"Quit dancing, Perce. What's on your mind?" he asked, sleepily, while trying to find the right position for sleep.

Percy rolled, pinning the squirming boy beneath him to the bed.

The Sea's son cradled the black-eyed boy, relishing the feel of his soft skin and tracing the angles of his face.

"Nico, I love you so much, Gods know if I ever lost you." Percy spoke almost reverently, not meeting the other boy's eyes.

The green-eyed boy could feel the blush creeping up the back of his neck,

he could feel his nerves sitting like rocks in his stomach, hard and unforgiving.

His mouth ran dry, and he licked his lips,

stalling for a moment while he watched the younger boy's face grew confused.

The Hero swallowed his nerves and cleared his throat, knowing that if he didn't ask now, he never would.

"Marry me," he said, his voice calm if not a bit unsure.

"Marry me and tell me that I can have you by my side for always." he repeated, his voice a bit firmer.

Nico stopped squirming underneath the older boy and froze. His too dark eyes widened and his pale skin flushed.

"Marry you?" the shadow prince asked in a daze, asking as if to check if he heard right.

He was startled and it showed on every line of his face.

The shadow prince could feel his stomach rolling at the idea of it all.

He could feel his nerves crawling up the base of his spine,

until the emotion's icy fingers wrapped around the back of Nico's neck.

Marry him? The idea was so foreign...

he had never thought about marriage-

it never really seemed like a valid concern.

It was such a big...commitment.

He loved Percy-Gods did he love the man, but the very idea of it was radical and frightening.

He could feel the conflicting emotions rolling around in the pit of his stomach.

A virile stampede of angry butterflies,

their presence was uncomfortable and unsettling.

Nico shook his head, pushing on Percy's chest,

suddenly feeling claustrophobic under the older boy's weight.

"Perce..." he whispered slowly, regretting how forlorn the name sounded on his lips.

His head slowly bobbed back and forth

as he grabbed the sheets to cover himself with.

The sea prince moved over to give the younger boy room.

He could feel the hurt blooming in his chest,

prickling with thorns of rejection and embarrassment.

His mouth twisted, pulling down as he looked away to his lap.

The sea prince played with his own fingers,

while trying to hide the hurt blossoming over his face.

Nico reached out to him uncomfortably,

not sure what to do,

he let his open hand drop into his own lap.

They lapsed into uneasy silence-

both consumed by their own thoughts.

"I just..." the shadow prince started, looking towards the cabin wall.

"I've never even...we're both so young Percy...I never thought I'd be getting married, let alone at 19!"

He spoke, his voice quickly building in strength as it built off his own fears.

"I love you-I do-but I don't even belong in this world and now you want me to commit to it?

Before I've even finished my studies or have gotten anywhere with my art?"

He stuttered out, growing flustered.

Percy looked up at the dark eyes boy, his faced screwed up in anger and hurt.

"Yeah, yeah I do! You're scared is all, and I am too! I don't have all the answers of life,

I just know that if there is anyone I wanted to find them with, it's you!"

Percy interjected.

He looked over at his lover and his anger dissipated.

Percy reached over to scoop Nico's delicate face into his hands, running his thumb along the others bottom lip. When his trailing fingers came back damp,

he realized the shadow prince was crying, or at least trying not to.

"Oh Neeks, don't cry, don't do that..." He whispered, his voice pained.

He leaned over to hold the skinny boy,

pulling his smaller frame onto his own lap.

"Baby, don't cry, it's okay." Percy tried to mellow his voice and speak soothingly.

The green eyed boy played with the younger boy's hair, trying to console him.

"No, it's not Perce, I can't do that. It scares me." Nico sniffled.

"We are so young, and neither one of us know what we are doing.

How can you promise that you will always be mine, even if you don't know if it is true?"

Nico reached up to wrap his bony arms around Percy's neck, tucking himself around the hero's body.

"Nico, I can make you that promise.

I know that I will never want another person like I want you.

Commitment doesn't scare me because losing you scares me more.

I look at my future and I know that the only thing I have figured out is that you are in it.

I can't even see anyone else anymore, and I don't want to. I want you and only you.

I don't care what we'll go through or what might happen. I only know that you are the only person that I want to go through it all with."

The Sea Prince spoke honestly and simply. His words came from the depths of his heart and Nico could feel himself warming at his words.

He sniffled and wiped his cheek, looking up at the face he had fallen in love with.

"as long as you can say the same, Neeks, then there isn't anything to worry about" Percy whispered.

The shadow Prince nodded his head, thinking over the other boy's words.

"I've never thought about it, but if I had to spend my life with anyone, it would be you." Nico mused.

"I guess if I'm going to make it to a decent age-I had better stick with my Hero, right?"

He asked quietly, his attempt at humor was lax on the bravado it needed,

but the point wasn't lost on Percy.

The green eyed boy could feel the smile tugging at his lips as he cocked his head to the side and looked at the dark eyed boy.

"Is that a yes, Mr. Di'Angelo?" He asked, a giddy edge making its way into his tone.

A small smile appeared on the dark eyed boy's face,

he looked to the side of the cabin and slowly nodded his head.

Percy grinned and hugged the younger boy around the waist.

"So, Nico, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked again, to clarify.

The shadow Prince snorted and smiled again

"Yes, I...I'll marry you Perce" he chuckled as he answered.

Percy laughed, free and clear, while his green eyes glittered as he pounced on Nico- pinning him to the bed.

"You have..." He leaned down and kissed the younger boy.

"no idea..." he smothered Nico in another searing kiss.

"how worried I was..." He attacked Nico's bruised mouth with another kiss.

"for a moment, I thought you were going to tell me no."

He trailed a searing line of open-mouthed kisses down the side of the Nether-prince's jaw line,

eliciting sighs of pleasure from the other boy.

"I love you so much, you have no idea how happy you made me."

Percy's face was the picture of a thrilled person and Nico couldn't help but let out a throaty chuckle as he pulled the sea prince's hair lightly.

Nico pulled the emerald eyed boy down and gave a heart fluttering kiss to the older boy,

winding his bony arms around the hero's neck and pulling him close.

The kiss slowly turned into a hug,

as each boy reveled in the feeling of the skin to skin contact and Percy's

infectious, happy glow.

"I love you too, Percy." Nico purred, nestling into his affections.

Eventually, Percy was able to coerce a smiling Nico into

half-snarkily admitting that he could never keep the hero from being happy.

The Sea Heir beamed and Nico silently admitted that this marriage idea wouldn't be a bad idea if it kept his fiance happy, and by extension, himself.

* * *

 **Remember to review-it helps me grow as a writer and I always love hearing what you guys have to say!**


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